Means for supplying moisture and air to automobile-engines.



. A. N. sEPHA MEANS FOR SUPPLYINGMOKSTURE AND AYH TO AUTOMOBILE ENGINES.

APPLICATION rLEDJuNE16,1915.

j 4for other uids to the com f 20"'v In ,the a it the plane ef4 dotted' um, a-e of rig. 1. rig.-

is a section on line fir-Lof Fig.k 3. Fig. 5

i i i `take manifold of the engine. On some auto,-

" 60 ableopening 4in the intake manifold `Whether ALBERT N. STEPHAN, '0F FBEEPOBT, ILLINOIS.

To all whom t muy concern.' Y I x i `Beit known that I, ALBERT N. STEPHAN, Y acitizen ofthe' United States, residing vat -Freeport, in the county of Stephensonand `5 vState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in -Meane for Supplying'-Moieture and Air 44to Automobilengines, of which the following is a speeld *cation.. L v "f This invention relates to means forjsupply'ing water vapor, steam, lgasolene,y alcohol ustion chamber .of an automobile engine. Y

Theainvention isjherein' shown' as .em-

bodied in anattachmentfadapted to intro- 9 duce such fluids'jnte the intake manifoldf of the. engine, he attachment comprising f emitrolling means arranged to be mounted upon thesteering column. f `mpanying drawings, F1gure 1 isa diagra n tic View illustrating an ap-4 para'tus e'pdying the features o my `1n- 2 is a ragmental sectional 1, ventiom il I u view. Fig-3 is a sectlonalview taken in is a `fragmented detail view.` I

In tli'edrawings, A ,denotes an automobile `aengine; B a radiatory connected in the usual `Waytov the Wa-terjacket of the engine c 11nder; B the ordinary overflow' ipeo the.

`radiator; A' the intaln,l mani old of rthe 4 engine; and C the steering column.;

f lOne of the features' of my invention coni siste in. supplying Water vapor from. the loverllovvpipe Bl of the radiator to the 1nj mobiles, the overflowpipe isbn' one side' of "the center line of the car, and on other cars said pipe is on the opposite side. The in I i take manifold likewise, may on one side or the otherof'the engine. In orderv that the device may 'be attachable to existing cars ofvarious makes,the connection be,

,.45l tween the roverflow pipe and `the intake manifold consists in part of a exible tube 1 of ample length and a nipple 2, said nl/pple being pivotally connected to thetube, so

that the nipple may beV screwed into a suitprimingfor cleaning liquid. In order that i the 4cup 3 maybe upright, while the nipple 2 extends in,` the direction which may be Specication of Letters Patent.

tanins ron Vmirrnrnre Morsfrunn ann ein, 'ro AUroMonLn-nnernns.

necessary in a giveninstallatiom the cup and the nipple are ivotally' connected together, as stated. he means for control* ling the entrance of water or other liuid to the manifoldis locatedat the axis' of such pivotal connection.

- L1 denotes a lug on the cup 3, and 5 a lug on the nipple 2. These lugs are transversely apertured to receive a tubular pivot or valve casing. 6.v Said casing has at one end a shoulder 7 adapted VVto lie at one side of the lng 5, whilethe other end of the casing 6 is externally' screw-threaded to receive` acap 8L i The cap 8 and the shouldered' portion oi't the casxngy are exteriorly adapted to receive wrenches for use inconnecting the parts.

A port 9 connects the interior of the cup il with an annular chamber 10 in the lug Ll. The bore cf the nipple 2 communicateswith an annular chamber 11in thel'ug 5 through a port 12. The chambers 10 and 1.1 are in. constant communication,

The interior othe `valve casing `6 is arranged tdfcommunicatewith. the chambers 10 and f1 by means of ports 14. To one end -of the valve casing 6 ilsecured one end ot the tube-,1. To theother end of the tube is fixed .al 'coupling 15 consisting of two branches 16 'and' 17 extending at a right angle vto. each other. The tube1 is fixed to the branch 16. The branch 17 is adapted to be slipped upon the lower end o the overiow pipe B and be secured in place by a set screw 18.' The lower end of the coupling 15 "is open, as at 15",'.

Within the vaive casing (i is avalve mem 'ber 19 adapted to close communication between the tube 1 and the valve casing. Any

.suitable means may be employed to operate the valve member 19. Herein I have shown a flexible rod 20 connected to said valve ratentea Jane 2o, iena.

Application tiled June 16, 1915. Serial No. 34,432.

, 13 is a needle valve that controls the-port' 9;

member and extending to a point Within con- 1 venient `reach of the driver. In the drawings, I have shown the rod 20 as inclosed in .a flexible tube 21 which is secured at one .end of the cap 8, and is attached to the Steen ing column by means of a clamp 22.

Y 23 is a finger piece fixed to the rod 20.

Whenfstartingthe engine, the supply oi* fuel may be obtained from4 the carburetcr (not shown) or from the cup 3. After the engine has been started and the cylinder has become suiiciently Warm, Water va or may be admitted to the intake manifold y openopening 15*l at all times affords a means of escape for Water or vapor descendingin the overow pipe. The entrance to the branch 16 lsat one slde 'of the path which overflow f-watefnaturallytakes by reason ot' 'gravityf iVbe "the valve member 19 is seated, no watfrenters the tube 1. "When said valve member is unseated, more orless water vapor mixed with air isv drawn into the engine cylinder.

' The pivotal connectiony between. the cup 3 andthe nipple 2 and the flexibility of the tubes'l and 21 and the rod- 20 permit the apparatus tobe f applied 4 tol existing cars of various makes and sizes. j f

Although theinvention i'slierei'n disclosed "Q i j 1,187,153?

as embodied in an .attachment for automo` bile power plants, it is evident t-hatthe invention may be constructed asan integral vpart of yan automobile.

I claim as my invention:

An' attachment for automobile power plants, comprising a flexible tube, a valve casing connected to one eud of said tube, Tan .attaching nipple communicating with said jasing, a valve in said casing, means for operating the Valve, and a coupling comprising two lnancl1es,'one'of said branches being attached to the other end of said tube, and tbeother branch beiilgjadapted for connectionto the lower end of an overflow pipe,

lsaid coupling'having means .for the admission of air and vthe csc: p eof water.v l

In testunonv whereof, I hereunto set my hand in the presence of tivo witnesses.

ALBERT NT STEPHAN.

FREIL R. RICE, Titou-is S. 13mm', 

